Deer, Coyotes, and Bears – Oh My!

I went to college in Philadelphia and for most of my collegiate era, I loved living in the city. However, once my time became more valuable and things in my life started to prioritize, I gravitated back home to the country. Every morning I wake up to some sort of wildlife outside my bedroom windows. My house is close to main roads, but its nestled back in a patch of woods and farmers’ fields. I have had everything from deer, fox, and coyotes to black bears and even an emu run through my front yard. The first thing I do every morning once I step out of bed is look right out the window to see what is hanging out. I consider myself lucky to be able to experience so much wildlife so close.

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It wouldn’t be much of a gamble to say that most hunters are also animal lovers, as ironic as that sounds to anyone who isn’t a hunter. I have also had people ask why I don’t just sit on my back porch and take out deer. That answer is simple, there is no fair chase or ethical standards for me in that. I’m compelled to hone my skills and test my limits inside their wild environments. A mentor told me, “If it was easy, it wasn’t hunting.”